Chicagoland Pro-Israel Political Update
Calling balls and strikes for the pro-Israel community since 2006
October 9, 2020
If you remember nothing else, remember this:
- The vice presidential debate confirmed Trump's unfitness for office. Pence denied the obvious: Trump is responsible for needless deaths from COVID, Trump refused to condemn white supremacists at his debate, and Trump refuses to adhere to basic norms of democracy.
- Trump's values are not Jewish values, and support for strong U.S.-Israel relations is another reason to vote for Biden.
- The ADL reports that Soros conspiracy theories at the heart of anti-Semitism aimed at Jewish members of Congress, but Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass still refuses to apologize for his role in spreading those theories.
- You can influence the outcome of the election by phone or text banking. And you can see Bill Kristol this morning for free. Details below.
- Read to the end for upcoming events and fun stuff.
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Friends,
Chag Sameach! Since Sunday is Simchat Torah, you're receiving the newsletter today. Look for it bright and early every Sunday starting next week.
If we learned anything from the vice presidential debate on Wednesday, aside from
Mike Pence's obliviousness to flies, it's that today's Republican Party does not believe in science or democracy.
More than 210,000 Americans have died from COVID. The
New England Journal of Medicine writes that "not only have many democracies done better than the United States, but they have also outperformed us by orders of magnitude." After outlining the failures of the Trump administration to respond to his crisis, the Journal concludes that "Anyone else who recklessly squandered lives and money in this way would be suffering legal consequences. Our leaders have largely claimed immunity for their actions. But this election gives us the power to render judgment."
Scientific American has never endorsed a presidential candidate in its 175-year history. But it is endorsing Biden because Trump "rejects evidence and science," noting that "Trump's rejection of evidence and public health measures have been catastrophic in the U.S."
In September,
Trump cited the infamous "racehorse theory," the idea that selective breeding can improve a country’s performance, which American eugenicists and German Nazis used in the last century to buttress their goals of racial purity.
Yesterday,
13 white right-wing extremists were arrested in a plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
According to the ADL, Of the 42 killings by political extremists last year, right-wing extremists committed 38. Words matter, especially words coming from the White House.
We now know that the separation of children from their parents at the border was not a byproduct of Trump's immigration policy, but
deliberate cruelty. By any standard of decency or policy, Trump's record on COVID, democracy, and bigotry would render him unfit for any office, let alone the highest in the land. Yet he leads a so-called major party. The only solution is to vote him and his followers out of office.
But what about Israel? Shai Franklin writes that we should "allow ourselves to internalize the pro-Trump theology of control, division, lawlessness, and revenge. These are not Jewish values, they have never worked to our advantage, and – while we shouldn’t go boasting – in no way should we apologize for upholding the highest ideals of our faith" by voting for Joe Biden.
Trump announced a
new round of sanctions against Iran that will do nothing to curb its nuclear program, make war more likely, and inflict unnecessary cruelty on the Iranian people while hardening the position of Iran's government. You'd think from the way Pence talked about the administration's assassination of Qassem Soleimani at the debate that we had already solved Iran--but here we are with sanctions again, the only tool other than war in the right-wing foreign policy toolbox.
Colin Kahl went through the administration's shifting rationales for the strike, noting that "the legality of the strike is separate from whether one views the strike as moral (which it might have been) or strategic (which I am doubtful about)."
Need more information about Israel? Check out these great resources:
If you have any questions about where the candidates or their parties stand on Israel and anti-Semitism not addressed in the above materials, now is the time to ask. That's what I'm here for. After all, I write this for you, my friend.
Soros conspiracy theories are central to the deluge of online attacks against Jewish members of Congress. The
ADL found that misinformation about Soros features in an "astounding’ 39% of ‘problematic’ tweets targeting 30 Jewish incumbents."
Remember when Tribune columnist
John Kass was
condemned and demoted for spreading
anti-Semitic Soros conspiracy theories and a small but vocal minority within the Jewish community rushed to defend him? (Kass doesn't wear a hijab ,so how could a middle-aged white guy who looks kind of like them and Trump be anti-Semitic, right?)
Maybe they didn't hear the dog whistles. It is possible that someone could innocently talk about Soros, just as, for example, it's possible for someone to talk about AIPAC's influence and literally mean AIPAC's influence, not Jews generally. The test is whether, when the use of an anti-Semitic trope is pointed out to someone who used it, that person apologizes and does not use the trope again. Kass refused to apologize and doubled-down. Shame on him and shame on his few Jewish supporters.
What can you do? Plenty. Make a plan to vote in whatever way makes you most comfortable, and then
phone or text bank with Jewish Democratic Council of America (the national voice of Jewish Democrats) to reach voters in states that matter most. You can make a difference, and this is a great way to do it.
I guess this is a good problem to have: This list is now so large that while many people are local, even more live outside the Chicago area and have no interest in local news. If you want to be on a list that will receive infrequent newsletters about local issues and events, reply to this email and I'll add you.
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The Fine Print: This newsletter usually runs on Sunday mornings. Unless stated otherwise, my views do not necessarily reflect the views of any candidates or organizations that I support or am associated with. I reserve the right to change my mind as I learn more. Intelligent, well-informed people may disagree with me; read opposing views and decide for yourself. A link to an article doesn't mean that I agree with everything its author has ever said or that I even agree with everything in the article; it means that the article supports or elaborates on the point I was making. I take pride in accurately reporting the facts on which I base my opinions. Tell me if you spot any inaccuracies, typos, or other mistakes so that I can correct them in the next newsletter (and give you credit if you want it). Advertisements reflect the views of the advertisers, not necessarily of me, and advertisers are solely responsible for the content of their advertisements. I read, value, and encourage replies to my newsletters, but I don't always have time to acknowledge replies or to engage in one-on-one discussion. Don't expect a reply if your message is uncivil or if it's clear from your message that you haven't read the newsletter or clicked on the relevant links. © 2020 Steve Sheffey. All rights reserved.